Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches in Franklin, TN
Here at Mission Health Center, we know that headaches are one of the most prevalent conditions afflicting Americans. In fact, they are so common that almost 50% of the population will report a headache every year. Life is busy and stressful, which often leads to the “common” headache medicated with aspirin. But is that the solution or just a bandaid to a potentially larger problem? Although headaches are common, they are absolutely not normal. Headache symptoms are often just an outward reflection of something off, misaligned, or missing from inside of your body.
Studies show that more than 90% of patients suffering from headaches reduced the severity and frequency of their headaches following chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic adjustments help decrease the stress on your system and thus allow the body to heal more appropriately for its environment.
Common Causes of Headaches
Headaches can be caused and triggered by a host of potential suspects. These include physical, chemical, and emotional forms of stress.
The first form of stress is physical stress, caused by things such as a motor vehicle crash, sleeping on your pillow incorrectly, working at your computer, looking down at your phone, or playing sports with your kids. This physical stress can cause a shifting of the top couple of bones in the spine which leads to a condition known as a subluxation. This subluxation can cause a headache and is one of the most common conditions we see at Mission Health Center in Franklin, TN.
The second form of stress is chemical stress due to our environmental factors such as the foods we eat or nutrient deficiencies, secondhand tobacco smoke, or chemicals like perfumes and scents. One of the top reasons we see people develop headaches is dehydration. They just are not drinking the appropriate amount of water necessary to sustain health. As a rule, your target is 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight. A 100-pound individual should consume 50 ounces of water per day, and a 200-pound individual should drink 100 ounces of water every day.
The third form of stress is emotional stress, and this is one of the most common causes of headaches in many people. The stress of work, paying bills, relationships, and making ends meet, are all causes of stress that will manifest as headache symptoms.
One of the most critical aspects of finding a solution for headaches is getting to the root of the problem. Are your headaches originating from the muscles, joints, discs, or something else?
How We Treat Headaches in Franklin, TN
Comprehensive Consultation and Examination
One of the first things we do at Mission Health Center in Franklin, TN, is to meet with you to discuss your case and get to know your story. This will help us begin to identify the root cause of your headache and establish the appropriate goals for your care. Once we have reviewed your case, we will determine if an examination is warranted. Our comprehensive examination includes specific chiropractic functional, orthopedic, and neurological tests performed to help us understand the root cause of your headaches.
Specific Chiropractic Care
At Mission Health Center, specific chiropractic care is the most important thing we offer for patients suffering from headaches. Many of the most common headaches are caused by a shifting of the spine, referred to as a spinal subluxation. A subluxation is when your spine has moved out of proper positioning and alignment, stretching the muscles and discs and compressing the nerves that exit between the bones. This shifting puts pressure on the spinal discs and irritates the nerves, leading to headaches.
Our goal as corrective chiropractors is to remove pressure from these irritated nerves by restoring proper spinal alignment through a chiropractic adjustment. This allows your spine to function and your body to heal.
If a subluxation causes your headaches, they will not get better until the spinal misalignment is addressed and corrected. If your spine is left in this damaged/shifted position, it can cause bone remodeling to occur, called degeneration, and lead to arthritis.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
At Mission Health Center, we understand the importance of proper stretching and strengthening to reduce the discomfort caused by a headache. Specific neck stretches are prescribed to reduce tension in the neck muscles, as are specific strengthening movements that will establish better stability in the top region of your spine. Your posture is the window to your health and your spine’s function. It is often an indicator of headaches.
Forward head carriage is a postural dysfunction caused by looking at a computer or your phone for hours each day. We live in a digital age, and many people’s posture is beginning to suffer due to shifting the load of their heads out of normal gravitational alignment. As humans, we were not designed to sit as a lifestyle choice. We were created to be upright, hence the trend for a standing desk position at work and elevated monitors. That is only one component of it, as looking down at your cell phone screen forces the head to flex forward on the top bone – called the atlas – pulling on the spinal cord, nerves, and muscles that exit the spine. This pulling or stretching creates inflammation leading to headaches, whether they be a migraine, tension, or sinus just to name a few.
Once we understand the health of your spine, our team will create a custom plan with ergonomic changes for work and home, a stretching routine to immediately reduce your headaches, and a strength program to stabilize your neck in proper alignment.
Spinal Decompression
You have bones, discs, ligaments, tendons, and nerves within your neck. The discs in your spine are like shock-absorbers or cushions between each spinal bone. Compression on the nerves due to a spinal misalignment can cause the discs to become swollen or irritated. Headaches are a common result of cervical disc issues.
At Mission Health Center, we use a specialized technique and technology called Spinal Decompression if we detect a swollen disc causing headaches. This specific treatment slowly stretches your neck, relieving pressure on the swollen, slipped, bulged, or herniated disc. This slow, pumping style of stretching your spine will open the disc spaces and allow oxygen, nutrients, and water to pull into the disc. This will speed up the healing process and decrease the disc bulge that may be causing your headaches.
Using spinal decompression in conjunction with spinal adjustments will result in the longest-lasting changes within your spine and help correct the problem and prevent it from happening again.
Nutritional and Supplements
According to the Cleveland Clinic, food is one of the contributing factors to the development of a headache. Some of the most common food triggers include cheese, alcohol, nuts & seeds (peanuts and almonds), pizza & potato chips, bread/grains, onions/garlic, caffeinated beverages, and preservatives such as MSG.
One of the best things to do if you are experiencing headaches is to engage in a healthier eating plan. This includes following more of an “anti-inflammatory” food program. You want to consume foods that naturally relax muscles and help to reduce stress. These include clean protein, high fiber foods (vegetables and fruits), healthy fats (coconut oil, avocado, wild-caught fish), and foods rich in magnesium (green leafy vegetables and sweet potatoes).
Water is super important to reduce the unwanted symptoms of a headache. Commonly, dehydration can lead to and cause a headache. Studies show that chronic dehydration is a common cause of tension and migraine-type headaches. The target is to aim for 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight. An individual weighing 100 pounds should consume approximately 50 ounces of water every day, more in the summer to account for increased heat and perspiration.
Two highly recommended nutritional supplements for headaches are a high-quality B-Complex vitamin and Magnesium. B6 (pyridoxine) helps reduce headache symptoms, while magnesium is an essential mineral necessary for countless functions in the human body.
Common Types of Headaches
Migraine
Migraine headaches can often be much more severe than tension headaches and last for multiple hours to days. When someone presents with a migraine headache, they often explain that they are experiencing sensitivity to light, noise, or smells, feel nauseous, and have an upset stomach. In some cases, patients will report an “aura” right before or during a migraine. The pain is often throbbing or pulsing in nature and can be very severe. Migraine headaches can originate from the cervical spine and may result from a spinal subluxation complex.
Cervicogenic Headache
“Cervicogenic” refers to pain or headaches originating in the cervical spine or other structures in the neck such as nerves or muscles. This form of headache is usually chronic in nature and arises from the upper three bones of the cervical spine (occiput C0, atlas C1, and axis C2). Pain from a cervicogenic headache is on one side of the head and can radiate into the shoulder and arm. The neck’s range of motion is also often reduced. At Mission Health Center, we perform a detailed case review and cervical examination to determine the root cause of your headache and if it’s originated in the cervical spine.
Whiplash Headache
When someone hears the word “whiplash,” they often associate it with a motor vehicle crash, but a whiplash headache can result from a sports-related accident such as a football collision or being hit in the head with a soccer ball. On average, the human head weighs 10 pounds. An impact-based trauma forces the head to move rapidly forward and backward, causing a whiplash headache. The pain from a whiplash headache is often experienced at the base of the skull and made worse with movement or moving the neck. With specific chiropractic care and corrective exercises, we will have you back up and on the road to healing and recovery.
Sinus Headache
Your sinuses are located in the front of your forehead and the cheekbones of your face. Allergies or infections can inflame the sinuses, causing pain and mucus drainage issues. Sinus headaches create pain behind the eyes, in the forehead, and the cheeks and the pain is made worse with movement due to increasing pressure in the sinus cavities. Our doctors use a combination of chiropractic care and instrument taping to reduce the sinus pressure and congestion to provide resolution for your sinus headaches.
Tension Headache
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. These dull, achy headaches can feel like a tightness or pressure around the entire head, like a strap wrapping around the head causing tenderness in the head, the neck, or the shoulders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor good for headaches?
Yes, absolutely. Several clinical trials have indicated that chiropractic adjustments may help treat headaches. One study reported that the patients who receive chiropractic care experienced a 90% reduction in their headaches. Another study of 729 subjects at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College found that 613 received chiropractic adjustments and their outcomes ranged from good to excellent. Our doctors are trained to identify the cause of your headaches and create the proper course of care to correct the cause.
When should you see a chiropractor for headaches?
You should see a chiropractor for headaches as soon as possible when you first begin to feel any signs or symptoms. The symptoms you are experiencing are a warning sign that the body sends to help notify you that something is wrong. By covering up the symptoms and not getting to the root cause, you may delay your healing and alter your body’s ability to function properly.
Can getting your spine adjusted help with headaches?
Yes, especially with the high prevalence of headaches that originate from the neck region of your spine, commonly brought on by poor posture, lack of proper nutrition, and stress. At Mission Health Center, we see many patients get long-term relief from their headaches with corrective chiropractic care.
What is the natural way to relieve tension headaches?
The most natural method for reducing tension headaches includes:
- following an anti-inflammatory diet, reducing gluten consumption, and taking vitamins such as a B-complex and magnesium
- performing specific stretches and trigger point work your neck muscles
- having your spine checked by a chiropractor to assess your posture
- making sure you are staying hydrated
Who is the best chiropractor in Franklin, TN, for headaches?
The doctors at Mission Health Center have successfully cared for 10’s of thousands of patients with headaches. Our process involves getting to the root cause of your headaches and coming up with a solution that best aligns with your goals and our findings to help you achieve success and live a pain-free, headache-free life.